NHS cuts

12.00.00am GMT Fri 18th Nov 2005

Letter to Oxford Mail

Sir

The NHS in Oxfordshire is being driven currently by financial crises, but the Labour Government is not listening.

Thames Valley 'Health Economy' already receives the lowest amount per head of population in the country. The £34m deficit in Oxfordshire has arisen partly because of our excellent hospitals, which provide specialist care not just to the local area but nationally and internationally.

The Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority should have been managing this financial crisis at a much earlier stage. Now cuts are proposed across the board.

The Mental Healthcare Trust, which is operating within budget, has been told to make huge savings, with the loss of medical staff, the possible closure of the Barnes Unit for people who self-harm, temporary closure of one adult ward, closure of day centres and cuts in therapies to help patients recover from mental illness.

The Nuffield Orthopaedic Trust will close a ward. The John Radcliffe Hospital may entirely suspend operations for some non-urgent conditions such as varicose veins, hernias and ophthalmological problems.

All these cuts will also create huge pressures on the local Social Care services who, with families and carers, will be left to pick up the care.

Liberal Democrats have been leading the opposition to these dreadful cuts. Dr Evan Harris MP is debating this in parliament yesterday (Wednesday). But this is too important an issue to be one for party political point scoring. I urge everyone who feels concerned to write to Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Health, Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, London SW1A 2NL.

Yours faithfully

Cllr Dermot Roaf